Last night, as I sat in Madison Square Garden watching Matt Cullen and the Carolina Hurricanes thoroughly embarrass some lazy and enigmatic New York Rangers, I found some solace in the fact that tonight I could watch a great hockey game. The first “hyped” Original Six match up of this season between the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings figured to be a great game to watch, despite the fact it was being televised on Versus. 

The reason why the Detroit Red Wings continue to be the best team in hockey year after year after year was clearly illustrated in Montreal tonight. After the first period, the Habs look liked an AHL team. I thought after “Smithtown” Chris Higgins scored his goal at 4:15 of the second period to tie the game, the Canadiens would make it a contest. Nothing could have been further from the case.

Detroit kept throwing the puck into the center of the ice, from the side, from behind, from up high. They outshot Montreal 33 to 17. I would venture a guess and say they were in possession of the puck for 50 minutes. Hasek made a couple of decent saves and let one in. When I saw “the Dominator” was playing, I thought that Montreal might have half a chance. Dominik is 42 and has been so uneven this season that Osgood is really number one.

Pavel Datsyuk’s second unassisted goal at even strength at 11:08 of the second period put the game away for the Red Wings. Every aspect of the Red Wing’s game is almost flawless. They relentlessly forecheck. Turnovers are minimal. They do exactly what Renney and the coaching staff have been begging the Rangers to do. They shoot the puck. They cause so much havoc in the slot that the opposition’s goaltender doesn’t have much of a chance of seeing the puck. Their cycle is clearly North/South. Their powerplay cycle is North/South. The vast majority of Detroit’s players are European. If they can play North American style hockey, why can’t the Euro-Rangers?    

The Detroit Red Wings have been at the top of their division almost every year since they last won the Cup in 2002. They have been coached by Bowman, Lewis and Babcock and they still are one of the most dominant teams in the league in the regular season. It’s more then coaching. It’s their culture. They refuse to settle for anything less then their personal best in every game they play. It is their committment to their teamates and the organization to be their best, to bring their best game evey game.

Montreal’s game is typical of Eastern Conference teams. If Tom Renney is looking for tapes to review, he should use tonight’s game to illustrate how to play a game where there is constant checking, constant puck movement and possession as shown by the Red Wings. The Red Wings make their opponent pay, not so much by banging them but by outhustling them. That, and the awesome goal scoring ability of Zetterburg, Holmstrom and Datsyuk.

Shanahan won three Stanley Cups with Wings. He and Steve Yzerman were the personification of the Red Wing’s ideology. Sean Avery came up through the Wings organization. I am sure he hasn’t forgotten what he learned there. We need them both to step up and lead the Rangers.  After witnessing the lackadaisical play of certain Rangers on Monday night, I too am close to calling for Shanahan to be given the “C”. It’s not Jagr’s team anymore. We need him to score goals, not be weighed down by the burden of being Captain.